1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic circuit which counts and totalizes the number of occurrence times of a plurality of events or the duration thereof with weighting specified per each event.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The plural events are exemplified most simply in troubles produced in various portions within mechanical apparatuses or circuit apparatuses and occurence of causes being liable to introduce troubles. A circuit of the invention may be utilized in a forecast device or a preventive maintenance device which counts the number of occurrence times of these events with weighting corresponding to the importance of the events and totalizes the count value and then generates alarm before producing troubles if the total value becomes abnormally large. However, a weighted counting circuit as object of the invention is required not only in such example but also in various wide applications. As another example, the circuit is required in that the number of singular points or characteristic points in numeral digital data groups, e.g., singular points of observation data groups as object in a pattern recognition apparatus, is totalized with weighting corresponding to characteristics of the singular points and favorable decision is effected. Or, when such digital data groups are produced or generated in pulse form, the pulse width, i.e., the duration is taken as characteristics and the totalized value with weighting corresponding to the degree of characteristics can often provide useful information to know abnormal state or characteristics of such data groups. Irrespective of sorts of various events, whether an event occurs or not is usually given as digital data, particularly one bit data of "0" or "1" being most simple. The circuit of the invention also receives such digital data as signal representing occurrence of an event. If original data is analog value, the data is digitized and then received by the circuit.
A computer or a microcomputer is conventionally used as a weighted counting means having above-mentioned various applications, but it is not always favorable to be assembled in mechanical apparatuses particularly in existing apparatuses from the viewpoint of required space and the price. Consequently, a circuit device of very small type which is more simple and capable of being easily assembled in semiconductor integrated circuit is required. Such circuit of simple and compact constitution is not known well in the prior art, but a counter device of the most simple constitution shown in FIG. 12 may be mentioned first as an example. As clearly understood, signals of pulse form generated every time of occurrence of events E are received at input terminal IN of a binary counter 1 and the pulse number is counted. In another example as shown in FIG. 13, occurrence of plural events E1.about.Ek is received through a multi-input OR gate 2 to a binary counter 1 under condition that the plural events do not occur simultaneously, and then the total value of the number of occurrence times is counted. However, any of the conventional examples shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 cannot perform weighting of the importance of the events. In order to perform the weighted counting, plural binary counters 1 of FIG. 12 having the number corresponding to that of the events are arranged and the number of occurrence times is counted per each event, and the count value is read in sequence by a micro processor or the like, and then weighting is performed to respective count values and the totalizing is performed. Consequently, in such means, the circuit is considerably complicated in whole constitution and cannot be easily assembled to a narrow area within the integrated circuit.